Joshua Taggart knew he wanted to work for the space industry the day he experienced his first launch while attending a camp at Kennedy Space Center, seeing the space shuttle Endeavour soar into the sky. He鈥檚 now closer to making that dream a reality after being recognized with one of the industry鈥檚 most distinguished awards.

Taggart is the latest Knight to receive the coveted Astronaut Foundation Scholarship, a national award that provides more than 70 scholarships of up to $15,000 each for some of the nation鈥檚 very best STEM students. He will be recognized with the 2026 class of scholars at the foundation鈥檚 gala, to be held next month in Houston.

Taggart says he chose UCF for its reputation in engineering as the No. 1 supplier of talent to the nation鈥檚 aerospace and defense industries (Aviation Week Network). He is in good company as part of a trio of Astronaut Scholars this year from the College of Engineering and Computer Science, joining mechanical engineering student Keanu Brayman and computer engineering student Kyle Coutray (a biomedical sciences double major), who have received the scholarship for second consecutive year.

As Taggart works to complete his final year at UCF, his latest accomplishment fuels his path to make an impact as a future space researcher.

Future Focused

Driven to contribute to humanity鈥檚 exploration of our universe, Taggart is already working on future-focused innovations that can benefit the space industry.

Through NASA Office of STEM Engagement, he interned at the Johnson Space Center working on communications, avionics, propulsion and flight software for CubeSat subsystems.

This summer at NASA鈥檚 Glenn Research Center, he is researching packaging materials for silicon carbide pressure sensors, working to make sure they perform reliably above 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit), and on integrating thermocouple sensors for temperature compensation.

鈥淚 chose this field of research because I want to be involved in next-generation electronics that can withstand the extreme nature of outer space.鈥� 鈥� Joshua Taggart

鈥淲ith the harsh environment that outer space is and planet surfaces like Venus, electronics must survive very high temperatures and radiation effects,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 chose this field of research because I want to be involved in next-generation electronics that can withstand the extreme nature of outer space.鈥�

His work as an undergraduate researcher for the Q-Sim Lab, directed by Assistant Professor Jaesung Lee, also centers around developing technology designed to operate in outer space. Taggart is working on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators designed to perform under extreme conditions, such as elevated temperatures and increased exposure to radiation.

He recently won a Judge鈥檚 Choice Award at UCF Student Research Week for his Honors Undergraduate Thesis, 鈥淩obust AlN MEMS Resonators for High Temperature Space Environments.鈥�

His passion for space has only grown over the years, reflected by his ongoing research at UCF and for NASA. As an Astronaut Scholar, Taggart is launching into a future full of possibilities.

鈥淎side from the financial support that this scholarship will provide me as I complete my undergraduate program, I am very eager for all of the networking opportunities I will have,鈥� Taggart says. 鈥淚 look forward to networking with other students and industry leaders to learn and grow as much as I can thanks to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.鈥�

Those interested in the Astronaut Scholarship and other opportunities should reach out to the Office of Prestigious Awards at听OPA@ucf.edu.

Over millions of years, flowing water etched valleys, shaped mountainsides and formed the branching blue and green scars visible across Earth 鈥� and potentially those on other celestial bodies.

Now, UCF researchers and collaborating institutions developed a framework capable of reconstructing realistic 3D landscapes using only 2D river network patterns. By combining computer models that simulate how river networksform with principles of hydraulic geometry 鈥� the study of how rivers naturally shape themselves over time 鈥� the researchers were able to estimate terrain features such as elevation, channel depth, slope and sediment transport.

The approach could help scientists better understand how landscapes evolve under different environmental conditions on Earth and potentially other planetary bodies such as Mars and Titan.

Rivers as Geological Records

According to Arvind Singh, an associate professor in UCF鈥檚 Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, river networks preserve traces of the physical processes and external forcings that shaped them over time.

鈥淩iver networks encode the integrated effects of hydrologic and geomorphic processes, reflected in metrics such as drainage structure, channel geometry, relief and hypsometry (the measurement of elevation and depth),鈥� Singh says.

Reconstructing Landscapes from Networks

Traditionally, researchers study river systems by starting with 3D topographic data gathered through satellite imaging and digital elevation models, then extracting river networks from the terrain.

The new framework flips that process.

Instead of beginning with terrain itself, the researchers investigated whether river networks contain enough information to reconstruct landscapes from the ground up.

鈥淏ecause traditional approaches require full topography and only describe patterns, reverse engineering (e.g., from networks) can reveal the underlying physical processes that govern landscape form,鈥� Singh says.

The researchers say river networks can reveal far more than simple drainage patterns. Under the framework, the geometry of the networks can also help estimate hidden environmental variables tied to landscape formation.

鈥淎 key insight is that realistic 3D landscapes, and even unobservable quantities like discharge or sediment transport, can be reconstructed from 2D network structure alone, revealing strong constraints imposed by fundamental scaling laws,鈥� Singh says.

Testing Alien Worlds

Because the framework is dimensionless and scalable, researchers were also able to adapt the model to hypothetical landscapes on Mars and Titan by changing variables such as gravity and sediment density.

The resulting simulations revealed how river valleys and terrain formations may differ across planetary environments. Compared to Earth and Mars, Titan鈥檚 lower gravity and unique environmental conditions produced wider channels, deeper river systems and flatter overall landscapes.

鈥淢ars and Titan provide natural laboratories with different gravity and fluid/sediment properties, allowing the framework to test how identical network structures yield different landscapes under altered physical conditions.”鈥擜rvind Singh, associate professor

The planetary comparisons allowed the researchers to test how different environmental conditions influence landscape formation even when river structures remain similar.

鈥淢ars and Titan provide natural laboratories with different gravity and fluid/sediment properties, allowing the framework to test how identical network structures yield different landscapes under altered physical conditions,鈥� Singh says.

The simulations also demonstrated how gravity and sediment behavior can dramatically alter the shape of landscapes over time.

鈥淒ifferences in gravity and sediment properties directly alter channel width, depth, slope, and relief, leading to distinct landscape geometries even with the same network structure,鈥� Singh says.

The researchers say the framework may also help scientists better understand how precipitation, sediment size and watershed structure influence the evolution of landscapes over time. Unlike many traditional landscape evolution models, the framework explicitly resolves river channels and their physical characteristics, including depth, slope and gravel transport.

A New Framework for Landscape Evolution

The researchers say the framework differs from many traditional landscape evolution models because it directly incorporates the physical properties of river channels into the simulations.

鈥淭his framework couples probabilistic 2D channel network generation with physically based, dimensionally consistent hydraulic geometry and hillslope models, explicitly resolving channel properties and producing fully scalable 3D landscapes,鈥� Singh says.

By revealing how river networks preserve hidden information about the worlds they shape, the researchers hope the framework can help scientists better understand not only Earth鈥檚 geological past, but also the ancient landscapes of distant planetary environments.

听The study was conducted by researchers from UCF, the 海角直播 of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and collaborating institutions, with support from the UCF P3 program and other funding sources.

UCF researchers are known worldwide for their innovative studies, groundbreaking discoveries and contributions to patented technologies that have impacted society and influenced other leaders in the field.

Two College of Engineering and Computer Science professors and a three-time UCF alum-turned-courtesy faculty appointee are now being recognized for their achievements that have advanced the quality of life for the state of Florida and the nation.

Professors Reza Abdolvand and Ni-bin Chang and Lockheed Martin Fellow Clara Rivero Baleine 鈥�01 鈥�03MS 鈥�05PhD have been named 2026 inductees of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame (FIHF). This initiative celebrates pioneering inventors and empowers future problem-solvers and changemakers.

This initiative celebrates pioneering inventors and empowers future problem-solvers and changemakers.

This year, 10 inventors from Florida will be inducted during a formal ceremony in Tampa on Nov. 6. Since FIHF was founded in 2013, five faculty inventors from UCF have been recognized with the distinction.

鈥淚nduction into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame represents the ultimate validation of a lifelong commitment to translating academic research into industry practice,鈥� Chang says. 鈥淏eing inducted into the Hall of Fame, which includes over 90 inventors in different fields is also a testament to the thriving Florida innovation ecosystem and the power of continuous, groundbreaking discovery.鈥�

A Career in Environmental Innovation

Chang was selected for induction based on his groundbreaking invention of green sorption media (GSM) and sustainable water treatment technologies that improve water quality.

GSM is a cost-effective and sustainable type of filtration media that uses recycled byproducts and natural minerals to treat stormwater runoff, wastewater effluent, groundwater flow and agricultural discharge.

There are a variety of patented GSM blends that can filter heavy metals, pathogens and contaminants from water systems. This process not only restores aquatic ecosystems but halts the transmission of waterborne diseases, and eliminates cyanotoxins and 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥� from water that can harm both humans and animals.

鈥淩emoving these diverse contaminants from water matrices provides profound, cascading benefits for both human health and aquatic ecosystems,鈥� Chang says. 鈥淏y eliminating the risk pathways associated with both acute exposure and chronic bioaccumulation, these GSM-based treatment technologies support fundamental ecological balance and public well-being.鈥�

GSM blends are already used at more than 300 water treatment sites across the U.S.

The Inventor of Advanced Electronics

Abdolvand, the chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was named an inductee for his contributions to the field of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) 鈥� incredibly small devices that have mighty power. Specifically, he is the inventor of a class of microelectronics called Thin-Film Piezoelectric-on-Substrate (TPoS) devices, which improve the reliability and efficiency of a wide range of electronics, including cell phones.

鈥淏y improving the efficiency and reliability of the components that make up these systems, the impact, while often invisible to the end user, is very real,鈥� Abdolvand says. 鈥淏etter performance, lower power consumption, and more reliable devices are the kinds of improvements that quietly make everyday technology work better for everyone.鈥�

Abdolvand鈥檚 interest in innovation stems from his natural sense of curiosity. He says his tendency to connect the dots between seemingly unrelated events or systems has served him well throughout his career in research and academia.

鈥淭he moment it all clicked was during my Ph.D., when I was first given the opportunity to work on genuinely hard technical problems,鈥� Abdolvand says. 鈥淚 realized I could come up with solutions that simply did not exist yet. That realization was a turning point.鈥�

As his career progresses, Abdolvand hopes to leave behind a legacy that is less about devices and innovation and more about people. His passion for educating, inspiring and creating opportunities for students means more than the impacts of his inventions.

鈥淲hat excites me most is seeing students take the seed ideas developed at the university and carry them forward into their own companies, their own inventions, their own contributions to society,鈥� Abdolvand says. 鈥淭hat chain of innovation 鈥� from a research lab to a startup to a product that improves people’s lives 鈥� is what I find truly meaningful. If I can play even a small role in setting that chain in motion for as many students as possible, that is the legacy I would be interested to leave behind.鈥�

On the Cutting Edge of听Infrared听Materials and Optics

Driven by a desire to protect people and advance technologies that matter, Rivero Baleine joined Lockheed Martin, a UCF Pegasus Partner, in 2005 after completing three degrees in six years at UCF.

Rivero Baleine now serves as a Lockheed Martin fellow, contributing to cutting鈥慹dge innovation in infrared materials and optics.

Rivero-Baleine鈥檚 gradient refractive index optical materials and metamaterial coatings transformed infrared sensing systems for defense and advanced photonics applications.

鈥淚 am profoundly proud and deeply humbled to be welcomed into such an extraordinary community of inventors and innovators,鈥� Rivero-Baleine says. 鈥淲hat inspires me most is knowing that these听innovations will听become part of systems that protect service members, strengthen national security and expand the capabilities of the platforms we rely on. That sense of purpose continues to听drive听my work every day.鈥�

Rivero Baleine continues to maintain strong ties with UCF through a courtesy faculty appointment at CREOL and serves on the CREOL Dean Advisory Board and the UCF Material Science Industrial Advisory board.

Rivero Baleine is a Burnett Honors Scholar and earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in physics, and a 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 and a doctorate in optics.

For scientists working on NASA鈥檚 proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory, that question is no longer purely philosophical. It is increasingly becoming an engineering problem.

Researchers at UCF鈥檚 are helping develop technology designed to help future space telescopes detect potentially habitable planets orbiting distant stars.

The NASA-funded project, known as PEEPSS (Photonics-Enabled Exoplanet Spectroscopic System), aims to help astronomers directly observe planets hidden within the overwhelming brightness of their parent stars.

鈥淚f they鈥檙e in the habitable zone, that means they are orbiting close to their host star, and that host star is typically going to be 10 billion times brighter than the planet,鈥� says Professor Stephen Eikenberry, principal investigator on the project.

To explain the difficulty, Eikenberry compares the task to trying to spot 鈥渁 tiny blinking light while someone is shining a spotlight directly in your face.鈥�

The work supports the long-term goals of NASA鈥檚 proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), a future flagship space telescope intended to search for Earth-like planets beyond our solar system and analyze their atmospheres for signs of life.

Solving One of Astronomy鈥檚 Hardest Problems

Astronomers already know planets are common throughout the universe. The challenge now is identifying Earth-like planets that are extraordinarily faint compared to the stars they orbit.

Astronomers use instruments called coronagraphs to block a star鈥檚 glare while allowing faint planetary signals to reach a telescope鈥檚 detectors.

Even then, however, microscopic imperfections in a telescope鈥檚 optics can allow enormous amounts of starlight to leak through the system.

鈥淎nd you can say, 鈥榃ell, that鈥檚 only a part in a million,鈥� 鈥� Eikenberry says. 鈥淕uess what? A part in a million means it鈥檚 still 10,000 times brighter than your exoplanet. You鈥檙e doomed.鈥�

The system performs an advanced form of wavefront sensing that detects and corrects tiny distortions in incoming light before they overwhelm planetary signals.

Unlike many existing systems that monitor light earlier in the optical process, PEEPSS performs wavefront sensing directly at the telescope鈥檚 focal plane, the same location where scientific imaging occurs.

That distinction is important because it allows researchers to detect and correct optical errors that emerge after light passes through a telescope鈥檚 coronagraph. Scientists refer to these distortions as 鈥渘on-common-path aberrations.鈥�

To explain the concept, Eikenberry compares the system to trying to monitor a room you cannot fully see.

鈥淚magine you鈥檙e in a house and you want the entire house to be perfectly clean,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou can see people walking into the bedroom, but you can鈥檛 actually see inside the bedroom itself. That鈥檚 the non-common path.鈥�

By monitoring the complete optical pathway all the way through to the focal plane, researchers hope PEEPSS can help future observatories achieve the extraordinary precision necessary to detect habitable worlds.

A New Approach Using Photonic Lanterns

At the center of the project is an emerging technology known as a photonic lantern.

The device separates complex incoming light into individual optical channels, allowing researchers to recover not only brightness information, but also phase information carried by light waves, data that conventional imaging systems typically discard.

鈥淭raditional detectors wipe that information out,鈥� Eikenberry says. 鈥淧hotonic lanterns allow us to recover it.鈥�

That additional information enables what researchers describe as 鈥渜uantum-inspired imaging,鈥� an emerging technique that uses light behavior to improve image resolution and filter out the remaining starlight.

Researchers at CREOL have become major contributors to the rapidly growing field of astrophotonics, which combines astronomy, fiber optics and advanced photonic technologies.

鈥淭here are really only two major centers doing cutting-edge work on photonic lanterns,鈥� Eikenberry says. 鈥淯s and the 海角直播 of Sydney in Australia.鈥�

The project brings together collaborators from UCF, 海角直播 of California, Santa Cruz, the 海角直播 of Sydney, and the Space Telescope Science Institute. At UCF, Eikenberry works alongside graduate student Genevieve Markees and researchers including Rodrigo Amezcua Correa, Miguel Bandres and Jose-Enrique Antonio-Lopez, whose expertise in fiber optics and photonics helped establish the collaboration.

Looking Toward Habitable Worlds

The current PEEPSS project is structured as a three-year effort focused on building and testing prototype photonic lantern systems in laboratory and telescope environments.

Some versions of the technology have already undergone testing on telescopes in Hawaii through collaborations with the Air Force Research Laboratory and international research partners.

Ultimately, researchers hope the technology could become part of the future NASA missions searching for habitable planets around distant stars.

鈥淚f we can identify habitable worlds around other stars and show they possess conditions where Earth-like life could survive, that鈥檚 already revolutionary,鈥� Eikenberry says. 鈥淚f we discover actual evidence of life, then we鈥檙e talking about one of the greatest scientific discoveries in human history.鈥�

For Eikenberry, humanity may now be approaching a historic turning point.

鈥淲e are one mission away,鈥� he says.

And if future observations succeed, humanity may no longer simply wonder whether life exists elsewhere in the universe. For researchers involved in the project, that possibility is what makes the work so compelling.

鈥淲e鈥檒l look up and know.鈥�

The PEEPSS project is supported by NASA through award No. 80NSSC26K0577 and brings together researchers from UCF, the 海角直播 of Sydney and the 海角直播 of California, Santa Cruz to develop advanced photonic technologies for future exoplanet imaging and spectroscopy missions, including NASA鈥檚 proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory. The initial PEEPSS concept development was supported by the 海角直播 through its SPICE Academic Excellence Program.

Two UCF researchers have received U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Awards supporting separate engineering research projects focused on how complex systems sense, adapt and respond to changing environments.

The awards were presented to Chinwendu Enyioha, an assistant professor in , and Mohiuddin Quadir, an associate professor in . Among NSF鈥檚 most prestigious recognitions for early-career faculty, the CAREER Award supports researchers who show strong potential as academic leaders while integrating research, education and student development.

Recognizing Emerging Research Leaders

While Enyioha and Quadir work in different engineering fields, both researchers are developing systems designed to respond under complex conditions 鈥� including autonomous systems coordinating under limited communication and nanoparticles interacting with biological signals in complex environments.

Enyioha says the award will enable his group to build on years of prior work, including early doctoral students who helped lay the foundation for the project.

鈥淚t gives us the opportunity to study these problems and acknowledges the effort that has gone into making important findings in this area,鈥� Enyioha says. 鈥淚t will enable us to continue training doctoral students and make contributions to the broader cyber-physical systems research community.鈥�

For Quadir, the award will help support the long-term development of ideas his research group has been pursuing for years for engineering 鈥榮mart鈥� materials with programmable form and function.

鈥淭his recognition means a very significant impact for our research group and for the progression of our ideas,鈥� Quadir says. 鈥淭his is a core idea that we want to develop over time, and for that, you need logistic support, intellectual support, collaborations, and of course, newer ideas.鈥�

Designing Autonomous Systems Under Communication Constraints

Enyioha鈥檚 CAREER project, 鈥淟imited-Communication Control of Teams of Autonomous Systems鈥� focuses on developing mathematical frameworks and distributed algorithms that allow teams of autonomous systems to coordinate effectively under bandwidth-limited communication constraints.

The research examines how spatially distributed systems 鈥� including robotic networks, wireless sensors and autonomous infrastructure systems 鈥� can continue operating cooperatively even when communication bandwidth becomes constrained or unreliable.

鈥淥ne way to think about it is if you have a bunch of robots that need to solve a particular task. Clearly they have to talk and agree and coordinate,鈥� Enyioha says. 鈥淭he question we are interested in is how can they solve that problem when they are not able to talk freely with one another?鈥�

Communication constraints are common in real-world environments, including disaster zones, underwater systems and crowded networks where many devices compete for limited bandwidth.

鈥淥ur focus isn鈥檛 on situations where we have no communication, but on being efficient in how we use limited communication resources down to single bits,鈥� Enyioha says.

To explain the concept, Enyioha compares the challenge to compressing navigation instructions.

鈥淚f you want to go from Orlando to Houston, Google Maps gives you a long list of instructions,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut if you only had two pieces of information to give someone, you might say, 鈥楪o north. Then go west.鈥欌��

The project also studies resilient systems capable of continuing to operate even when communication channels fail or individual components become compromised, an important challenge in areas such as disaster response, autonomous infrastructure and large-scale robotic systems.

鈥淚n the community we call this designing autonomous systems that gracefully degrade,鈥� Enyioha says.

Engineering Materials That Respond to Biological Signals

Quadir鈥檚 CAREER project, 鈥淣anoscale Interactions of Stimuli-responsive Nanoparticles with Enzymes,鈥� investigates how engineered nanoparticles can be designed to recognize and respond to biological signals in ways that mimic certain characteristics found in living systems.

鈥淎s you know, in [human] physiology, in the physiology of the plants, in the physiology of any living materials around the world, there is a very basic paradigm that goes on, which is selective responsiveness to a particular stimulus within the myriad of noises,鈥� Quadir says. 鈥淭his sensitivity means a system can register and isolate signals from a complex external environment and translate them into an action.鈥�

Quadir says his research group is trying to translate that biological principle into the materials world by engineering nanoparticles capable of recognizing specific molecular signals and producing targeted responses.

The research focuses on enzyme-responsive nanomaterials 鈥� particles capable of interacting with enzymes at the molecular level. Quadir says his research group designs and engineers the molecular building blocks of nanoparticles so they can recognize specific enzyme signals and respond accordingly.

Potential applications could include medicine, aging research, environmental science, and adaptive materials capable of responding to dynamic biological environments.

Supporting Long-Term Research and Education

Both CAREER projects include education and outreach components designed to train students and expand engagement with emerging areas of engineering.

Education and workforce development are central components of Enyioha鈥檚 CAREER Award, he says. His research group includes doctoral, 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 and undergraduate students who participate in research on autonomy, machine learning, and distributed optimization theory, with applications to networked cyber-physical systems. Beyond the university, he also introduces younger students to these fields through programs such as UCF Camp Connect, where K-12 participants are introduced to decision-making algorithms and autonomy during a week-long summer program.

鈥淪eeing real demonstrations helped them understand how core concepts from math and physics apply to real problems,鈥� Enyioha says.

Quadir acknowledges the work done by the graduate students and postdocs towards the research goal. He is grateful to his mentors, collaborators and colleagues at the department and college for their guidance and inspiration, and the National Science Foundation for research support.

Quadir says scientific and engineering research ultimately aims to improve the lives of others.

Together, the awards highlight how UCF researchers are advancing engineering systems capable of adapting to increasingly complex biological, computational and real-world environments.

Enyioha鈥檚 CAREER Award project, 鈥淟imited-Communication Control of Teams of Autonomous Systems,鈥� is supported under NSF award GR110760. Quadir鈥檚 CAREER Award project, 鈥淣anoscale Interactions of Stimuli-responsive Nanoparticles with Enzymes,鈥� is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under awards GR111180 and GR111181 (Award number听 – 2609681)

For a group of seven UCF graduate students and alums, it starts with curiosity and a willingness to explore the unknown.

Researchers studying topics ranging from galaxy formation and invasive fire ant species interactions across Florida ecosystems to sustainable propulsion systems, harmful algal blooms and organic chemistry with potential pharmaceutical applications have earned recognition through the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)鈥檚 Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). One of the nation鈥檚 most competitive honors, the fellowship supports students pursuing research-based 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in STEM fields while helping develop the next generation of innovators and scientific leaders.

The 2026 UCF recipients of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship are:

• Charlotte Moore 鈥�25
  Physics, College of Sciences and Burnett Honors College
• Jennifer Hughes 鈥�25
  Environmental engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Burnett Honors College
• Melissa Deinys 鈥�26
  Chemistry, College of Sciences and Burnett Honors College
• Noah Swann 鈥�24
  Chemistry, College of Sciences
• Kalissa Moseley
  Integrative biology, College of Sciences
• Emilio Pereira 鈥�25
  Aerospace engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Burnett Honors College
• Brendan Shrader 鈥�25
  Mathematics, College of Sciences, and Burnett Honors College

Chasing Challenges

The fellows鈥� research spans different disciplines, but many are driven by a common goal: developing solutions to better our world.

UCF mathematics and physics alum Charlotte Moore 鈥�25 studies galaxy evolution in the early universe, a field that has rapidly advanced thanks to new observational technologies such as the James Webb Space Telescope.

鈥淲e鈥檙e in an era of very rapid improvement in observing technology,鈥� says Moore, an astrophysics doctoral student at the 海角直播 of California, Santa Barbara. 鈥淭here is a lot of data from very early times in the universe I can use that just wasn鈥檛 available before the past five years or so.鈥�

Jennifer Hughes 鈥�25, a UCF environmental engineering and biology alum, became interested in research after seeing a graduate student demonstrate a microbial fuel cell powered by bacteria in research lab during her first semester at UCF.

鈥淚 was immediately fascinated by the idea that bacteria could generate an electrical current,鈥� says Hughes, an incoming 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 student in biological and environmental engineering at Cornell 海角直播 whose research at UCF focused on harmful algal blooms and algal bioremediation.

Melissa Deinys 鈥�26, a UCF biotechnology alum and current chemistry doctoral student whose research focuses on environmental health and ecosystem protection technologies, says her passion for science stems from a curiosity about how the world works and encouragement from her parents to keep asking questions.

鈥淲hat I love most about research is that it allows me to combine my natural curiosity with a meaningful impact,鈥� Deinys says.

Scientific Curiosity and Discovery

Moore said her interest in astronomy began early through physics courses and science programs she explored while growing up. She later became interested in studying galaxies through undergraduate research experiences and opportunities to work directly with researchers in the field.

Deinys says one of the experiences that most shaped her perspective on research came while presenting mangrove disease research during a community outreach event.

鈥淎s researchers, we often focus on experiments, data analysis and publications, but at the end of the day, the purpose of research is to help people,鈥� Deinys says.

The Reality of Discovery

While scientific breakthroughs may be the end goal, several fellows say the real work of research happens in the setbacks, uncertainty and persistence that lead to discovery.

For chemistry alum Noah Swann 鈥�24, whose work focuses on organic chemistry and natural product synthesis, repeated setbacks are an expected part of lab research.

鈥淚 was told when I first started in the lab that 90% of the reactions you run won鈥檛 work,鈥� says Swann, a chemistry doctoral student at the 海角直播 of Chicago. 鈥淎t the end of the day, you realize that there is no failure, only learning.鈥�

Kalissa Moseley, a UCF integrative biology doctoral student who studies invasive fire ant interactions across Florida ecosystems, says one of her earliest undergraduate research projects helped reshape how she approached experimental design and scientific problem-solving.

鈥淓ven though this project was [challenging], I walked away with a much better skillset in experimental design,鈥� Moseley says.

Working through uncertainty has become one of the most important lessons for UCF aerospace engineering alum Emilio Pereira 鈥�25, whose research focuses on hypersonics and detonative combustion for propulsion and power generation systems.

鈥淣othing worth doing has ever been easy,鈥� says Pereira, a mechanical engineering doctoral student at Purdue. 鈥淭he ability to recognize this and not beat myself down and be empowered by my own inadequacies, is what鈥檚 allowed me to succeed.鈥�

The Power of Mentorship

Many fellows credit UCF faculty mentors, undergraduate research opportunities and hands-on lab experiences with helping shape their academic and professional journeys.

Moore points to undergraduate research experiences with Professor of Physics , which helped prepare her for graduate research and provided early exposure to scientific collaboration and conference opportunities.

Participating in undergraduate research and completing her Honors Undergraduate Thesis strengthened Hughes鈥� research skills for graduate study and the NSF fellowship.

Swann credits Professor of Chemistry with empowering him to lead his own research project and pursue research professionally.

Looking Ahead

Whether they鈥檙e studying distant galaxies, invasive species, sustainable energy systems, environmental resilience or future medicines, the fellows share a belief that research can make a meaningful difference.

Several hope to advance scientific discovery. Others envision mentoring the next generation of STEM students and researchers.

These ambitions are already taking shape in labs, field sites and research centers 鈥� one question, experiment and discovery at a time.

For Hughes, that future includes continuing research focused on biological systems and environmental resilience. For Moore, it includes continuing astronomy research as new observational technologies expand scientists鈥� ability to study the early universe.

Moseley says she hopes her future research can contribute to improving invasive species management strategies and understanding how invasive ants affect ecosystems across Florida.

Deinys says she hopes to eventually build a career that combines research, mentorship and public impact while helping future students see themselves represented in STEM fields.

Brendan Shrader 鈥�25, a UCF mathematics alum and Burnett Honors Scholar, also received an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and will pursue graduate studies in mathematical biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Students interested in applying for the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship program or other major national awards should contact the Office of Prestigious Awards at听opa@ucf.edu.

Now CATER is expanding its mission and its reach as it shifts from a center within the College of Engineering and Computer Science to an official university center, effective July 1. This new iteration of CATER includes structured goals for faculty success, advancing new industry and national lab partnerships and the development of new research and testing facilities for students and faculty.

鈥淔lorida has an unparallel industrial ecosystem that includes turbomachinery companies, space propulsion companies and aviation companies,鈥� Pegasus Professor and Trustee Chair Jayanta Kapat says. 鈥淐ATER works at the intersection of these technologies and strives to provide the best training to UCF students who will work for these organizations, capable of providing them with fast and quality technical solutions.鈥�

Fostering Faculty Mentorship

UCF sets up its faculty for long-term success, in part, through quality mentorship.

As part of Kapat鈥檚 plan, core senior CATER faculty members will mentor incoming assistant professors who join CATER as core faculty members until they receive promotion and tenure. Throughout the process, junior faculty will receive guidance on the grant funding process and networking as well as student recruitment and advising.

CATER鈥檚 current interdisciplinary faculty expertise includes mechanical and aerospace engineering, and modeling, simulation and training.

鈥淭he typical faculty career is 20 to 30 years, and we want our faculty to stay successful over that period of time,鈥� Kapat says. 鈥淣one of this is taught in a university as a course. So in CATER we have created a very intense one-to-one mentorship plan that worked well in the previous version of CATER so that core members can sustain productivity over their entire faculty careers.鈥�

Redefining the Research Focus

To be considered or to remain a core member of CATER, senior faculty will need to continuously meet specific metrics such as annual research expenditures, total annual awards, the number of mentored graduate students, number doctoral graduations, publications, etc.

CATER won鈥檛 expand beyond 15 core members and 10 research faculty members, while keeping its focus on various research applications, such as hypersonics and national security, energy and sustainability, advanced air mobility, and space power and propulsion.

鈥淭hese are the areas where we contribute to the university’s overall strategic initiatives that President Alexander N. Cartwright implemented as part of UCF鈥檚 strategic plan,鈥� Kapat says. 鈥淪o this is our contribution to the university鈥檚 strategic goals.鈥�

The faculty are already working on several research projects to support CATER鈥檚 research pillars, including the development of digital twin architecture for power plants and aviation systems, creating new fuels for zero-emission aviation, use of supercritical carbon dioxide, molten salt and ammonia as energy carriers for future power generation systems, expanding design paradigm using advanced manufacturing and newer materials, and investigating the possibility of building a power plant on the moon.

Expanding Industry Partnerships

CATER also supports industry needs through partnerships with major energy, aerospace and defense organizations that are based in Central Florida, including Pegasus Partner Siemens Energy. For the past decade, CATER鈥檚 homebase has been the Siemens Energy Center on the main campus. But now researchers have additional facilities that support their work.

CATER and the Aerospace Technology Group (ATG) have collaborated on the CATER-ATG Engine Research Test (CERT) facility, which recently opened at Valkaria Airport near Melbourne, Florida. The space allows CATER researchers to certify engine parts and develop/validate new technologies that companies like Boeing or GE could incorporate into their next generation aviation systems.

Professor Kareem Ahmed, a world expert in hypersonic and space propulsion, is using the space to conduct fuel tests for the Department of Defense. Professor Subith Vasu, a world expert in supercritical carbon dioxide oxy-combustion and ammonia combustion, will conduct engine testing of ammonia as a fuel for an actual aviation gas turbine 鈥� one of the first in the world.

Kapat鈥檚 group is conducting ground testing of hypersonic flight components and will conduct cracking of ammonia using heat from a gas turbine exhaust. Such experiments can鈥檛 be run on the UCF campus.

A third joint facility called the CATER Applied Propulsion and Energy Center (CAPE), is under development with start of operation expected by August. This would house several mid-TRL experimental rigs on supercritical carbon dioxide cycle, molten salt systems and components, energy storage, advanced air mobility, etc.

CAPE facility will be also strategically located close to the world鈥檚 largest molten salt energy storage facility, called MOSS, being planned by Siemens Energy and will be used to test components for thermal energy storage systems and thermal interface for advanced nuclear reactors. Siemens Energy would own the MOSS facility while a nuclear reactor company will supply a large fraction of the equipment. UCF researchers will help operate and use the facility to conduct research and train the next generation of nuclear and mechanical engineers.

鈥淲e need to train the new workforce because there is not enough people trained in nuclear engineering anymore,鈥� Kapat says. 鈥淢echanical engineering is a nuclear-adjacent area, so they see this as an opportunity to train the workforce by letting them run the facility. So it鈥檚 a win-win for everybody.鈥�

UCF Professor Michal Masternak and his team have identified molecular changes in the liver that happen when space travelers experience radiation and microgravity. These changes 鈥� that resemble accelerated aging 鈥� provide new insight into how prolonged space missions may increase health risks for astronauts and reveal potential targets for therapies that could combat age-related diseases on Earth.

鈥淛ust 24 hours after radiation exposure, there are many genetic changes in the liver that are remarkably similar to what happens during aging.鈥� 鈥� Professor Michal Masternak

鈥淲e focused on the liver because it is one of the major metabolic organs in our body,鈥� says Masternak, leader of the College of Medicine鈥檚 aging and space medicine research efforts. 鈥淲hat we found was that just 24 hours after radiation exposure, there are many genetic changes in the liver that are remarkably similar to what happens during aging. We can assume that if someone were in space much longer, the damage could be much greater.鈥�

The findings were recently published in听GeroScience.

Navigating the Science

For their study, UCF researchers and scientists from the U.S. created a simulated deep space environment in the lab. The team exposed animal models to simulated microgravity for 14 days and galactic cosmic radiation and solar particle events at NASA Space Radiation Laboratory trying to mimic the dosage that astronauts would be exposed to during a trip to Mars.

The exposure triggered noticeable and potentially harmful changes in the liver, including increased cellular senescence (aging and decreased cell function), inflammation and fibrosis. Left untreated, these conditions can eventually lead to declining and even failing organ function.

The research team then compared their results with data collected from astronaut blood samples taken during the NASA Twins Study and Inspiration4 astronauts. They saw similar genetic changes in blood.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got this raw data from human studies, and they show that some of these changes are similar,鈥� Masternak says. 鈥淭hat tells us we鈥檙e identifying useful molecular targets that one day could help protect astronauts during long-duration space missions.鈥�

They听also听went a step further to see听whether the听changes could be treated. They听identified听a group of molecules known as antagomirs that alter several aging and inflammatory genetic pathways听by interacting with the body鈥檚听microRNA. This system could pinpoint promising听future听therapies for space travelers.

Understanding Aging in the Space Age

Masternak says听the nation鈥檚听growing space industry provides a unique opportunity to study aging at an accelerated pace.

鈥淰ery often when we study different aging processes, it takes time,鈥� he says. 鈥淓ven in humans, it鈥檚 almost impossible because it would take decades. But if we see some acceleration of aging in space, then we can translate it to human studies. We can observe processes happening much faster, understand them better and eventually use that knowledge to improve health for people here on Earth.鈥�

鈥淚f we see some acceleration of aging in space, then … we can observe processes happening much faster, understand them better and eventually use that knowledge to improve health for people here on Earth.鈥� 鈥� Masternak

Those discoveries could eventually lead to therapies that slow age-related diseases, preserve organ function and improve quality of life for everyone as they age.

鈥淥ur understanding of aging is very complex,鈥� Masternak says. 鈥淎ging isn’t simply wrinkles or cosmetic changes. It鈥檚 the gradual and cascading failure of multiple organs and biological systems that happen at the same time. By understanding what starts that process and where it happens, we have a better chance of preventing many diseases before they develop. That is one of the biggest outstanding questions.鈥�

Students Positioned at the Forefront of Space Medicine

College of Medicine students are also benefitting from space medicine research. Biomedical sciences Ph.D. student Md听Tanjim Alam听鈥�25MS听joined Masternak’s laboratory during his听biotechnology听master’s program after initially planning to study cancer in relation to aging biology. Then he was introduced to space medicine, including processing astronaut samples from commercial space travelers to study how extreme environments affect human biology. That research has inspired him.

鈥淚 want to keep exploring the unknown,鈥� Alam says. 鈥淚 really want to understand how space travel influences human health, particularly its effects on aging and cancer.鈥�

Biotechnology听graduate听student听Sarah听S.听Siddiqi听鈥�24听says the interdisciplinary nature of the research attracted her to the space medicine and aging lab.

鈥淲hen people think of aging, they think only about elderly populations,鈥� says Siddiqi, who earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree as a Burnett Honors Scholar in biomedical sciences. 鈥淏ut we study aging across different stages of life and different environments, including space. I’ll always be focused on improving quality of life. I want to better understand diseases that are increasingly prevalent and find ways to recognize them earlier, before they progress to later stages.鈥�

Funding and Disclosure:

Representing听UCF,听Natalie Hayslip听鈥�24听served as first author, while听Sarah Ashiqueali听鈥�21MS 鈥�24PhD, Xiang Zhu, Ridwan Hussein听鈥�22听and听Mishfak听Mansoor also contributed to the research.听Researchers from听Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine,听Universidade听Federal de Pelotas,听the听海角直播 of听Pittsburgh听and听the听海角直播 of North Carolina at Chapel听Hill听also听contributed.

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Award Number (FAIN): 2317758(MMM), Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease Research Program of the听Florida Department of Health,听Public Health Research, Biomedical Research Program听24A12 (MMM), and the National Science Centre, Poland UMO-2023/51/B/NZ5/00498 (MMM).

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the awarding agencies.

But the fragile quantum states that听make听such machines possible are notoriously easy to disrupt.听Even tiny changes in the environment听鈥斕齭uch as stray radio waves, small fluctuations in temperature or slight physical vibrations听鈥斕齝an听interfere with听calculations, introduce听errors听and disrupt quantum coherence.

To help address this challenge,听Assistant Professor of 听 is developing听a new approach听that combines superconducting quantum systems with nanomechanical devices to make quantum operations听more听resistant听to听noise and听errors.

Supporting New Quantum Research

鈥淭he future of quantum computing will be its real-world听breakthrough听applications in science and the economy,鈥澨齔hao says. 鈥淪o听it is absolutely true that practical quantum computers need to address the fragility of quantum states.鈥�

The project听is听supported听through the听highly听competitive听Oak Ridge Associated Universities Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award program, which provides seed funding to early-career faculty conducting research in science and engineering. The funding听supports听graduate student research and the acquisition of specialized superconducting quantum hardware used in the experiments. The project will also听leverage听UCF鈥檚 nanofabrication facilities and quantum research infrastructure, including advanced waveform control systems and superconducting quantum hardware.

鈥淭he most inspiring aspect of receiving the award for me is to know that the scientific merit of the proposed research received extremely positive recognition in the community,鈥� Zhao says. 鈥淭his means our lab is on the right track to听accomplish听research of high importance. We are also grateful for the support of getting students involved in advanced experimental quantum research.鈥�

Entangling Quantum States Through Braids

鈥淣ow, imagine the strands as the evolution of the quantum excitations and the knots as the entangled quantum states. The process of achieving a certain quantum state, i.e., the knot, can have various wiggles due to noise and control imperfection, but as long as it follows a certain pattern, it will result in a high-fidelity quantum operation.”鈥擧an Zhao, assistant professor of physics

There are听generally two听approaches to mitigate error rates in quantum computing, Zhao says. The first is听quantum error correction (QEC), which uses multiple physical qubits听(the basic unit of quantum information)听to听protect听logical qubits, the听encoded听units听of听quantum听information used for听computation. However, QEC听requires听substantial hardware resources.

Zhao鈥檚 research explores an alternative approach that seeks to make quantum operations themselves more resistant to noise and errors. His efforts focus on developing a more fault-tolerant method for quantum entanglement using superconducting quantum systems and nanomechanical devices operating at temperatures near absolute zero.

At the center of the project are tiny mechanical resonators听鈥斕齧icroscopic vibrating structures capable of interacting with microwave signals inside superconducting quantum circuits. By carefully controlling these interactions, Zhao aims to create a topological 鈥渂raiding鈥� process in which quantum states cyclically exchange听properties听in a predictable and stable way.

Unlike听conventional听quantum operations that rely on extremely precise control sequences, the braiding process is designed to be inherently more resistant to environmental noise and small operational errors. Because the听process depends more on the overall听pattern of the interaction rather than every exact microscopic detail, the approach could help reduce the impact of noise and small hardware imperfections.听Zhao compares the process to tying a shoelace.

鈥淏raiding means winding multiple strands to form or undo knots,鈥� Zhao says. 鈥淭he formation of a knot, like听how you tie a听shoelace, does not need to be exact every time and can tolerate large wiggle room for the strands to deviate.鈥�

鈥淣ow, imagine听the strands听as the evolution of the quantum excitations and the knots as the entangled quantum states,鈥� he continues.听鈥淭he process of achieving a certain听quantum state, i.e., the knot, can have various wiggles听due to noise and control imperfection,听but听as long as听it听follows a certain pattern, it听will result in a high-fidelity quantum operation. And this certain pattern is dictated by the intrinsic topology of the engineered interaction between superconducting quantum circuits and the mechanical resonators in an open quantum system.鈥�

A Stable Quantum State at Absolute Zero

To perform these experiments, Zhao鈥檚 lab uses superconducting quantum systems inside a specialized dilution refrigerator.听Operating at these extreme temperatures helps听eliminate听thermal noise that would otherwise disrupt delicate quantum behavior. The refrigerator, which cools the system to just a fraction of a degree above absolute zero, creates the ultra-stable environment needed for superconducting circuits and quantum mechanical interactions to function reliably.

Within this environment, Zhao鈥檚 team studies how microwave signals and tiny vibrating mechanical resonators can exchange quantum information through carefully controlled interactions.

Traditionally,听researchers听have听sought听to听isolate听quantum systems from听the听external听environment as much as possible when听building听quantum computers, says Zhao.听However, these physical systems are constantly interacting with their听environment听and听should be used to generate new ways of thinking about听the methods听of quantum information processing.

鈥淧ractically, the ultimate success will be a big step towards a fault-tolerant quantum computing that solves problems beyond the capability of modern computing technology听for applications in quantum simulations, complicated optimizations in relevance with the global economy and information security,鈥澨齔hao says.

This research is supported by the Oak Ridge Associated Universities Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award program under Award No. FP00012463. Matching support for the project is provided by听UCF.

Name:听John Sacher

Position(s):听Professor of history

Why are you interested in this research?
As I tell my first-year students, if you think history is boring, you just haven鈥檛 found the right teacher yet.

History is about understanding why things happened. Generally, people are all interested in some 鈥渨hy?鈥� question. Now, the 鈥渨hy鈥� questions each person might find fascinating are different, but there鈥檚 something for everyone. I might wonder, 鈥淲hy does the United States have a two-party system?鈥� or 鈥淗ow did the Confederacy manage to fight for four years in the Civil War?鈥� You might wonder, 鈥淲hy do we have 50 states?鈥� or 鈥淲hy do we have an interstate highway system?鈥� or 鈥淲hy is the Middle East so important?鈥� or even 鈥淲hy do brides traditionally wear white?鈥�

Regardless of your 鈥渨hy鈥� question, history can provide a lens to help you answer it.

Who inspires you to conduct your research?
My initial inspiration to study history came from my parents. They encouraged me to pursue a degree in whatever interested me, not necessarily one that led to a traditional occupation.

More recently, I think that my inspiration comes from my students. UCF students have great questions. They keep me on my toes. Every semester I鈥檓 asked something I鈥檝e never been asked before.听 Also, they are entering adulthood at a time when there are a lot of big unknowns out there 鈥� what鈥檚 going on with politics, with foreign policy, or with technological changes.听 While I can鈥檛 answer all of those questions, I can give them some tools to help them formulate their own answers and maybe some comfort to discover that they are not the first generation to face 鈥渂ig鈥� questions in their immediate future.

How does UCF empower you to do your research?
UCF鈥檚 Department of History (and the College of Arts and Humanities and UCF in general) certainly empower my research agenda. As a traditional historian, I don鈥檛 need fancy, expensive equipment to conduct my research. That said 鈥� teaching can be a different story. I was recently turned into a hologram to teach patrons of about the Constitution!

The most valuable commodity any historical researcher needs is time 鈥� time to research, time to think and time to write. I finished my most recent book thanks to a sabbatical which provided that time. The university has also repeatedly given me a teaching schedule that aligns with my research. So, I鈥檓 working with undergraduates and graduate students to help them understand the same issues that I grapple with in my research. That synchronicity keeps me on track and energized.

What major grants and honors have you earned to support your research?
I have received several major grants and honors in support of my research. My book A Perfect War of Politics: Parties, Politicians, and Democracy in Louisiana, 1824鈥�1861 (Louisiana State 海角直播 Press, 2003) won the 2003 Kemper and Leila Williams Prize for the best book on Louisiana history.

Why is this research important?
Historians provide invaluable contributions to understanding today鈥檚 political world. We live in a world of a rigid and hostile partisan divide where people are reluctant to trust the media. Historians can fill a void by delivering context for often debated topics such as the electoral college, redistricting, foreign policy, the second amendment, etc. We don鈥檛 tell people how to vote, but we grant them the tools to come to their own informed conclusions.

The more one understands founding documents such as the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights, the better one can make their own assessment of 21^st century political issues and candidates.